The Global Leadership Network (GLN) was created to advance excellence in corporate citizenship through the alignment and integration of responsible practices into the core business strategy of companies. Alignment is the most effective strategy to ensure viable and sustained excellence in corporate citizenship because it delivers financial value and broader value to society. Without strategic alignment, corporate responsibility efforts are usually marginalized and can become damaging to the long-term viability of the business.

Most of the world's leading companies are demonstrating that this approach supports financial performance. Rather than rely exclusively on impacts and outcomes, GLN emphasizes strategic aspects of citizenship that drive business strategy and performance. The prominence of strategy over sometimes short-lived impact measures is being welcomed by companies and stakeholders committed to a sustainable approach to aligning business practices and citizenship. While prioritizing strategy setting, GLN recognizes the importance of measuring effectiveness and provides network members with metrics and benchmarking tools.

The companies that founded GLN have invested in the development of a broad platform for corporate citizenship performance to bring together hundreds of other companies that share a vision and commitment to excellence. These companies are also interested in using a common tool and learning process that will identify current progress and the path to greater success and performance in the future.